Manifest Space with Morgan Brennan

What if AI could make weather forecasts more accurate? Spire Global has been tracking the accuracy of AI-driven weather prediction models using its own satellite data. Now partnering with Nvidia, CEO Peter Platzer joins Morgan Brennan to discuss the collaboration, the massive market for weather forecasting, and the 12 year old company’s path to profitability.

Fortuna Investments, which rose to fame with early bets on lithium, is now setting its sights on another frontier market. Founder & partner Justus Parmar joins Morgan Brennan to discuss the opportunities in the space space, why now is the time to invest, and his bullish case for Jeff Bezo’s Blue Origin.

Trimble, a leader in geospatial technology and player in the Internet of Things (IOT), is reaping the benefits of its initial bet on GPS 46 years ago. Trading at multi-year highs, the company is building on the momentum that stems from building hardware & software for construction, agriculture, transportation, and more. CEO Rob Painter joins Morgan Brennan to discuss Trimble’s portfolio and the role of space in software applications.

In another milestone for SpaceX, Elon Musk’s space venture blasted off this morning and traveled to space. The most powerful rocket ever reached orbital velocity and carried out a number of ambitious tests. Space Capital Managing Partner and early SpaceX investor Chad Anderson joins Morgan Brennan to discuss the mission and future moves for the company.

Interlune is emerging from stealth, closing an $18 million seed funding round, led by Reddit co-founder Alex Ohanian’s firm 776. Founded by two former Blue Origin executives, the startup aims to harvest natural resources from space and sell to commercial and government customers. CEO Rob Meyerson joins Morgan Brennan to lay out the company’s strategy and building out the in-space industry.

As the number of spacecraft has skyrocketed, so has the risk of collision. Morpheus Space, a space mobility startup, is looking to change the model around maneuvering satellites. CEO Daniel Bock joins Morgan Brennan to break down the one-stop satellite services shop—and building a subscription model to do so.

Terran Orbital, a small satellite maker which went public in a SPAC deal in early 2022, received an unsolicited takeover offer from supplier and investor Lockheed Martin last Friday. The defense prime already owns 28% of the company and now wants to buy the company in a deal valued just under $600 million—significantly below the market valuation when the company first went public at $1.8 billion. Terran Orbital quickly adopted a poison pill – or shareholder rights plan- as the company hopes to solicit other offers and strategize accordingly. CEO Marc Bell joins Morgan Brennan to discuss the company’s future as consolidation continues in a shifting satellite market.

Lunar services company Intuitive Machines made history as the first company to successfully land a private spacecraft on the moon. After a wild ride involving a nailbiter of a slightly titled, but soft landing—the spacecraft Odysseus went to sleep as lunar night sets in and is bound to freeze key components. Co-founder & CEO Steve Altemus joins Morgan Brennan to discuss the technical challenges, the sponsorship opportunities which have arisen post-landing, and whether or not Odie can reawaken and “phone home.”

As commercial space makes its mark on the moon, spacecrafts’ power sources are coming under scrutiny. Solar powered spacecraft freeze upon sunset—but the problem may become obsolete in several years as more nuclear-powered alternatives come to market. Zeno Power co-founder & CEO Tyler Bernstein joins CNBC’s Morgan Brennan to discuss repurposing nuclear waste for fuel, the role of nuclear power in space and growing its client base from government agencies to the commercial sphere.

As launch costs have dropped and orbital activity rises, the government is taking on more responsibility to keep pace. The NOAA, the Commerce Department’s arm to oversee commercial remote sensing, has expanded dramatically since taking over non-military space tracking from the Department of Defense. NOAA’s Office of Space Commerce Director Richard DalBello joins Morgan Brennan to discuss regulatory action, monitoring the private sector and the office’s growing impact as legislation seeks to reimagine the agency’s role.